In room 310 of the County Administration Building, the Board of Supervisors gathered Tuesday to vote whether or not to close what county staff described as a loophole in state law that — in some circumstances — still allows local law enforcement to hand people over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
A 1939 mural stretched along one wall, depicting life in San Diego. Everyone in it is light-skinned.
Underneath the mural, a much more diverse community gathered to make their opinions heard before the vote. They filled the chairs, stood along the back wall and crowded the hallway outside.
They wore reverend collars, rainbow stoles, yarmulkes, labor union shirts and “Make America Great Again” hats.
Many held signs that read “Protect immigrant families” on one side and “End ICE transfers” on the other.
Community members submitted 116 requests to speak on the item, and 539 written comments — about 300 in support and 200 against, the board clerk said.
While one supporter was speaking, a man began screaming so loudly in opposition that the meeting was forced to recess.
Both sides argued they were there to protect public safety.
Among the supporters was Rober Vivar.
He’s on the board for the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium and showed up, in part, because of his lived experience.
He said he came to the United States on a green card in 1962. He was six years old.
Over the decades, he built a life and a family here.
In 2002, he took a plea deal after being arrested for attempting to steal Sudafed from a grocery store.
He said he didn’t know the deal meant automatic deportation, and didn’t have time to find legal representation before the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office released him to ICE officers.
They deported him to Mexico.
His case eventually went before the California Supreme Court, which found that he hadn’t been given proper legal advice about the consequences of accepting the plea deal.
They vacated the conviction in 2021, restoring his residency.
“But in the meantime, my family got destroyed. My grandkids that were living with me suffered tremendous separation. I was supporting them, my daughter. It wreaks havoc on the family and on the family finances,” he said.
He said local law enforcement and community members need to cooperate for public safety.
Working with ICE, he said, threatens that.
“If our communities are afraid to report when they are being victims of a crime or when they see a crime, because of the possibility of being turned over to ICE and being separated from their family, that creates additional burden,” he said.
The opposing public commenters — much fewer in number than those in support — argued it was dangerous to not assist ICE.
A 2017 study by a University of California, San Diego professor found “sanctuary counties” have significantly lower crime rates and stronger economies than those that cooperate with ICE.
Chair Nora Vargas cleared the room at Tuesday’s meeting before the board discussed the item, saying there was too much disruption from the public.
The majority of the five-member board voted to stop county agencies from cooperating with or assisting ICE unless they have an arrest warrant signed by a state or federal judicial official.
It’s the ninth county in California to make such a vote, according to county staff.
Jim Desmond voted against the measure. Joel Anderson was absent.
The new policy comes a month before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who has promised mass deportations.
2019 data from Migration Policy Institute estimated 169,000 people without a current legal status reside in San Diego County.
